Folks Of Interest Anyone know Frank Smith, CA

You guys need to check out the Ol Skool Rodz May 09 mag. On page 12 I was suprised to see the truck me and my dad built five years ago. I start to read the article and this guy who owns it now (third owner) Frank smith claims to have built the car. Just wondering If this has happened to any of you. I could care less to have my name in the mag. I just want people to know that little Frank Smith is a circus clown and a fraud. Anyone Know of him?

 

It has happened before, but most credible mags. try hard to get it right. They also usually make a correction statement in the following issue. Not sure how that mag. operates as I don't read it, but if it's important to you, write the editor. Looks like a pretty nice truck though.

 

Be sure you get the correction in print - write the mag. As I recall, another HAMBer just recently reported that a rod shop was using a pix of his car to advertise their business. These guys must be using the AIG executive handbook as the bible for their code of ethics. Gary

 

A letter to the editor is already in place.A little more background on this story. I sold this truck to a guy in Florida a couple years ago, nice guy stayed in touch with me. The guy in florida called me and told me he was going to sell it to a guy in Cali. He was wondering if it would be OK to give the new owner my name and number, I said "for sure". That is how I know the guy knew who had built it.

 

It's irritating, but not much you can do. There's a local pro rod shop that doesn't have a machine shop, or a machinist. Yet two of their cars have been featured in HotRod magazine, one on the cover. I did a ton of machine work on it, yet they clain in the article that they did the work. My work is even featured on their website, and again, no mention of my name.

 

That is a very small book! Those AIG guys are something else. It's also pretty low to claim you did the work when someone else built the vehicle. I'd always admit to what was done on my car when I bought it and then what I did myself-but then, I don't have enough knowledge to lie about it very well.

 

It's unfortunate that buyers have to either represent that they built a car or create a false history thinking it will increase it's the value. It's happened for years and unfortunately the only one fooled is the buyer. There are some very well known cars that are not what has been written about them and have sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars. We've all watched Barrett Jackson. The FOGGER

 

Well, in my experience, that rag is also run by a not-so-scrupulous guy. I'm embarr***ed to admit I had a little "issue" on a completely unrelated topic with the publisher not too long ago. I suspect they could really care less. It's like a hot rod magazine for people who aren't really into cars...

 

Doesn't he have a bro named JOHN SMITH ??? >>>>.

 

Is this any different than the guy who just writes the checks to have everything done for him and then says "I built the car" ????????

 

If you're gonna be building a bunch of cars get used to it. This wont be the last time it happens.

 

that's a cool little truck... OSR must be raising thier standards.

 

Hey thats my name....whenever I'm checking in to a Hotel I'm not supposed to be at anyway

 

I'm not crying about it. I just want to call this clown out.

 

it is a cool looking truck.....

 

Don't be 100% convinced the guy is a douche without talking to him. Have any of you ever been interviewed for a magazine or newspaper and then taken a look at what gets printed vs. what you thought you said?

 

Why not go to their forums and post up pics of when you built the truck?

 

Thats funny **** right there....

Cool truck

 

Definitely looked better when you had it. That dude should have his pants pulled down on stage.

 

Yes I agree. I'm not one for red pinstriping TAPE.

 

Not defending this guy (I don't even know him) ... but considering this article appeared in Ol' Skool Rodz, it's highly likely that it was just a "journalistic error" on the part of the magazine ... It's quite possible that this "Frank Smith" guy filled out an OSR questionnaire form about "his" truck ... gave full credit to you & your father as being the original owners & builders of the truck ... but then the author of the article (or the OSR editor) took the liberty of "editing" your name out of the article / spec sheet ... and just stated that the truck was "owner built" (vs. Pro built) ... How exactly was "the claim" worded?

Then again, the current owner could be a total jerk ... and took complete credit for your work.

... BTW, Cool truck (& nice engine choice )

 

As a magazine guy, I know firsthand that sometimes all you have to go on is the information on the tech sheet that the owner fills out. And if the owner had a couple beers first, then all bets are off.

Like I tell everybody who has sold a project and then it pops up in a magazine, as long as the check cleared the new owner can claim it was built on Mars and brought to earth by the USS Enterprise...

 

He can claim anything he wants. My question to all these real car guys is, would you claim you built something you didn't knowing it was going to be put in a magazine. I just think that opens this guy up for being called a clown. Have a little pride.

 

Its sad that you are not getting the credit due. But dont you think you are going a little overboard calling the guy a clown. It may very well be that the magazine made a mistake. You should sort it out with them first B4 pointing fingers.

Check with the Magazine then get back to us.


Gary

 

Like I tell everybody who has sold a project and then it pops up in a magazine, as long as the check cleared the new owner can claim it was built on Mars and brought to earth by the USS Enterprise...

shipping from mars would be too costly.

 

Nice truck, but do you really want your name ***ociated with OSR? Been on their boards a few times and a bigger bunch of ***holes you won't run into short of going to say... a gay bath house maybe... or Washington D.C. - in the long run maybe they did you a favor leaving your name out of it.

 

I got in a discussion with a guy about that place a few months back. He kept bringing up the whole "the Hamb is too mean, they don't accept all cars, blah blah blah" thing. I told him "Yeah, but first off I like the built in **** filter, and secondly all the information here is good information... because of the **** filter. Questionable stuff gets called out real quick. Thats a good thing. Anyway, I'm rambling...

 

Henry Ford built that car. Duh.

 

This is VERY true as well...